


Reflections on a Difficult Day

by Small_Hobbit



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Gen, Kid Fic, Norland Nanny
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-04
Updated: 2015-09-04
Packaged: 2018-04-18 23:52:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4724906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Small_Hobbit/pseuds/Small_Hobbit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aftermath of "Beware the Portal".  Everyone is safe, but all have their own memories.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Reflections on a Difficult Day

**Author's Note:**

> "Beware the Portal" is here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/4257759

If one were to ask the various persons who had been involved in The Case of the Mysterious Portal, (as it would have been called had John Watson dared to publish it), what their most abiding memory was, the answers would have been quite varied.

***

Martha Hudson was torn between two memories. The first was how quickly Mycroft Holmes had arrived, following her urgent phone call to him to say his brother had physically reverted to his infancy. The timing, in itself was impressive, as it had taken him no more than ten minutes to appear. However, what really surprised Martha was not only did he have Anthea, but also a fully qualified Norland Nanny, with him. The nanny had instantly summed up the situation and taken charge of the three boys, leaving Anthea to make Martha a nice cup of tea.

The second memory was the request Mycroft Holmes made of her the following morning, which she had surprised herself by agreeing to do.

***

Greg Lestrade had vague memories of being a small boy and being interrogated by Mycroft Holmes until the nice nanny had intervened and asked him some much simpler questions, seeming pleased with the answers. His main memory, however, was of standing in the middle of 221B, surrounded by various people, and wearing Paddington Bear pyjamas. He’d quite liked the pyjamas when he had been a seven year old boy, but not once he had reverted to an adult.

***

John Watson similarly had mostly fuzzy memories of his time as a little boy. One thing he had liked was sharing his bed with Greg. They had both been small enough to sleep top to toe and he’d found it reassuring having someone with him. So much so he was planning on suggesting they repeat the experiment now they were both full grown again.

***

Sherlock Holmes’ abiding memories were of being carried round by his brother, who wore a constant expression of distaste at being forced to do so. It appeared neither John nor Greg had any understanding of what had happened when they unwittingly stepped through the portal and from Nanny’s questioning (Mycroft had been hopeless) both seemed to think the situation was reasonable. Sherlock had deliberately stepped into the portal and therefore had retained his adult thoughts and understanding.

Unfortunately he had failed to retain his adult ability to speak. When Mycroft, in frustration, had told him to see how much he could say, he first managed ‘Mamma’ and ‘Dada’ and then said ‘Dull’. The last word he repeated several times, increasing the pitch each time, until Mycroft said, “Okay, we get the message.”

Consequently Sherlock had been forced to communicate by facial expressions and the process of establishing what the portal was like from the perspective of those who had been de-aged took a considerable amount of time. At one point Mycroft had suggested treating Sherlock as a rugby ball and throwing him back through the portal to see if it would work, but Sherlock had started to wail and Nanny had told Mycroft off in no uncertain tone.

Sherlock had only been slightly mollified by hearing Anthea whisper to Mrs Hudson, “Do you think she’ll send Mycroft to stand in the corner?” and seeing them both trying hard to stifle their giggles.

***

For Anthea it would be Martha Hudson. They had established that in order to bring Greg, John and Sherlock back through the portal someone would need to enter and collect them. Neither Greg nor John showed any indication they could even see the portal and although Sherlock knew where it was, throwing him through had already been veto-ed.

It was essential whoever went into the portal would exit it as an adult, since they would need to bring all three children through at once. No-one knew what effect repeat usages would have on the human body and they were not prepared to find out. Mycroft had tentatively asked Martha if she would be prepared to try it, fully expecting her to refuse.

Instead, she had agreed with alacrity, surprising all of them. Accordingly, she stepped into the portal and emerged as a young lady in her early twenties. She stretched, admired her new dress, (which Anthea placed as being the height of fashion in 1963) and said “I could almost be tempted to stay here.”

Mycroft grumbled, “We’ve no time for that, Mrs Hudson.”

Anthea had intervened saying she should be allowed a few minutes to enjoy herself.

At the same time the nanny muttered, “I _will_ send him to stand in the corner!”

It wasn’t long before Martha sighed and took the baby carrier from Anthea. Nanny picked Sherlock up and tried to put him into the carrier, but Sherlock squirmed not wishing to go in.

“It’s either the carrier or I leave you behind,” Martha said. “It’s your choice.”

Sherlock went limp. With the baby in place, Martha took Greg and John in either hand and re-entered the portal. They emerged in their adult bodies: Martha dressed as she had been when she entered, Greg and John in their pyjamas and Sherlock in a forensics coverall.

Anthea felt extremely satisfied at a job well done.

***

As far as Mycroft Holmes was concerned, the less he remembered the better. He did, however, make a mental note, that if this occurrence was ever repeated he would find a different nanny.

 


End file.
